Defining and Defeating Terror

The founder of Aish HaTorah lays out a 3-point plan to restore sanity and defeat the evil scourge.

There is worldwide consensus on the need to fight terrorism. To succeed in defeating the terrorist threat, we need a three-pronged approach:

First, we need a clear and unambiguous definition of "who is a terrorist." Otherwise, we're stuck with saying that "one man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter."

Second, we must commit ourselves wholeheartedly to fighting evil.

And finally, we must take proper action.

Defining Terror

Objective definitions are the basis for all rational, intelligent thinking.

What if I ask, "Are you a bafoostik?"

You'll say, "What's that?"

"Just tell me, are you or aren't you?"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

Nobody cares much about being called a bafoostik. But before bringing out the tanks and missiles, we must first define "who is a terrorist." And apparently, the definition is not so clear.

At the same time that the U.S. hunts down Osama bin Laden and his cohorts, the State Department demands that Israel cease its targeted killing of Palestinians who mastermind near-daily terror attacks.

And last week, as world leaders offered condolences on the assassination of Israeli cabinet minister Rehavam Ze'evi, the Danish Foreign Minister said there is no difference between the assassination of this democratically elected leader, and Israel's targeted killing of suicide bombers and their sponsors.

Syria, the sponsor of Hizbullah and countless other terror groups, is now honored with a seat on the U.N. Security Council.

Confusing rhetoric abounds in the media as well. BBC policy permits the use of "terrorist" primarily when an attack occurs on British soil. Reuters' 2500 journalists are instructed to never describe an attack as "terror." And last week, a guest on CNN's "Larry King Live" explained that Bin Laden's men are "terrorists," whereas Palestinian suicide bombers "are martyrs who give themselves for a cause."

So once and for all, let's get a clear definition of terrorism.

"Terrorism is to purposefully harm innocent civilians, for the purpose of terrorizing them to accept your demands."

This helps clarify why George Washington was a legitimate "freedom fighter." He did not urge the massacre of British civilians or depict Great Britain as a fascist horror that God wants to destroy. Nor did he destroy British places of worship or publish maps showing a Europe wiped clean of England.

No true freedom fighter will harm innocent people, no matter how desperate the situation.

The difference is clear. No freedom fighter will take hostages or harm innocent people in order to achieve his freedom, no matter how desperate the situation. One cannot do evil to achieve good.

By their own definition, Hamas, Islamic Jihad, Hizbullah, PFLP and Arafat's Tanzim are terrorists. They proclaim from the mosques and rooftops their wish to kill every Jewish man, woman and child – with drive-by shootings, lynching, and suicide bombings.

Israel is hunting down these Arab terrorists, who are actively engaged in planning and executing additional terror against Jewish civilians. Imagine the audacity of those who try to make the victims of terrorism into the terrorists themselves.

When it comes to terrorism, we must have a clear definition, take a firm stand, and work to educate others.

Opposing Evil

The next step is to recognize that absolute evil exists, and it must be fought.

This is a difficult task for a multicultural and free society that is encumbered with a broad definition of "tolerance." The media, universities and politically correct pundits declare that everyone is right and there are no absolutes.

Actually, this is a distorted definition of tolerance. Tolerance means a commitment to working out disagreements through mutual understanding and discussion, not violence.

So let us be clear: To murder innocent people is evil – absolutely. To terrorize is evil – absolutely. This is true whether the perpetrator is white, black or yellow, Christian, Jew or Moslem.

Would the pacifists prefer that we all live in a conquered world, living under the Talbian laws or those of Osama bin Laden?

We cannot fight evil if there is no evil. Evil must be called evil – throughout the media, government and in public discourse.

And in order to defeat evil, we have to be dedicated to "good," as fiercely as our enemies are dedicated to "evil."

Take Action

In 1861, with civil war raging, Abraham Lincoln united Americans in a day of prayer. And now, President Bush has issued a call to pray for the safety of our soldiers.

We all yearn to see evil defeated. So we turn to our loving Father and ask Him to guide us in the proper course of action, and to oversee its success. Surely our God has the power to get this done.

Action must go hand-in-hand with prayer. Action shows that your prayer is serious.

In our individual lives, when faced with a crisis of health, wealth, success or aggravation, at the same time that we pray, we act. Nobody would dream of asking God for a good job and then sitting down to wait for a knock on the door. You'd scour through the classified ads and make a real effort.

In the current crisis, what action shall we take? How can we begin to make a difference?

The next step is to write letters in support of all politicians and reporters who speak this truth. At the same time, we must oppose those who favor appeasement and legitimize terror.

Finally, we have to close ranks. The entire civilized world has to be completely united in this struggle for survival.

But around what will we unite?

A profound tool for unity is the concept of monotheism. Any human who believes in a loving, all-powerful God – the basis of Judaism, Christianity and Islam – also believes in a God Who wants mankind to live in peace and brotherhood.

At this decisive time in world history – as the forces of evil try to divide and terrorize us into submission – each of us should turn to the Universal God, Creator of us all. We ask for the courage, wisdom and dedication to enable us to win this struggle against the evil scourge of terrorism.

Together with wise action, we will surely succeed in bringing peace to the planet, and in seeing humanity fulfill its ultimate purpose.

The opinions expressed in the comment section are the personal views of the commenters. Comments are moderated, so please keep it civil.

Visitor Comments: 35

(35)
FactsRule,
May 2, 2011 9:20 AM

The Rabbi, z"l, was right about all but Islam.

Certain web sites have expended a lot of effort in order to expose Islam & the activities of it's adherents. It is perfectly clear that Islam itself is most seriously evil. The god of Islam is not similar to the God of any other people. I implore everyone, please, please investigate for yourself! Don't take my word for it. Look at Islam itself & judge for yourself.
There are a few Muslims who are trying to get Muslim leaders to fundamentally change Islam in order to make it acceptable to civilization, something it is far from.
thereligionofpeace.com
investigativeproject.org
citizenwarrior.com
Jihadwatch.com
memritv.com
formermuslimsunited.org
actforamerica.org
campuswatch.org
inthenameofallah.org
faithfreedom.org
islam-watch.org
Palwatch.org
mypetjawa.mu.nu
atlasshrugs2000.typepad.com
Camera.org
honestreporting.com
think-israel.org
Mythsandfacts.com
jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Terrorism/victims.html
Please see this video of a world renowned Islamic "scholar" whom Imam Rauf, the "moderate" who wants to build an Islamic center at Ground Zero, calls "a world renowned Jurist." youtube.com/watch?v=-BH5SCUg3r8
Here are important thoughts on how Islam regards non-Muslims: citizenwarrior.com/2010/09/qurans-last-word-on-non-muslims.html citizenwarrior.com/2010/09/what-non-muslims-dont-like-about-islam.html

(34)
don muntean,
September 23, 2008 7:12 AM

excellent

Excellent article - it is so unfortunate that there are those who blur the lines - as noted - "one man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter" - here in Canada it seems that the Liberals and the NDP view the Palestinian terrorists as freedom fighters. They have little to no grasp of the the Islamist ideology. They are the party's who shall "favor appeasement and legitimize terror" - as sad is it is - these Canadian political party's are on the wrong page with this matter. The Rabbi makes the very important distinction between freedom fighting and an irregular fighting, "Terrorism is to purposefully harm innocent civilians, for the purpose of terrorizing them to accept your demands"
To even suggest negotiations with the anti-Israel anti-west Islamists indicates a complete lack of understanding. A very lamentable situation.

(33)
Anonymous,
July 29, 2008 3:32 PM

Clear ideas, Clarifies facts.

Dear Honourable Rabbi Weinberg:

Thank you profoundly for, your elegant, clarification of terms. There is a nefarious current, in so-called liberal democracies, in my opinion, that gloss over, integrally, any definition of terms deemed "offensive", to celebrity activists.

Celebrity activists, love the attention, provided globally, by adherents of sloppistic thinking, and romantic ideologies that would laud and find precious, the fruits of unspeakable acts of violence and destruction.

Hatred seems to be a process inculcated and designed by befuddled 'activists', who would deny others the freedom to actively be the recipients of consequences of their inhumane, criminal, and psychopathic behaviours and ideologies.

Peace as appeasement to the criminals and murderers amongst Us, is not strength, but cowardice and the rewarding of nihilism, destruction, and blasphemic ideologies. To reward "life", or any culture which deems itself viable, in its pursuits of the as destruction, murder, and hatred of other members of the human species, of humankind, is a true act of sacrilege that affronts G-d's universe, and All of her/his creatures.

It would behoove the annointed "leaders" of all stripes to remind themselves daily, all humans are accountable, for their free, chosen behaviour and values.

To choose that Any portion of G-d's creatures is 'unworthy of life ect.(fill in the blank) is to blaspheme what OUR G-d, the One who reigns over the Human Species (without exception), has created in his image, and loves.

Yisroel is the eldest sibling of the human family, the other siblings in human kind, should remember that it is not the way of siblings to actively pursue willfull destruction, murder, and criminal terror on the family (humankind). To do so, to engage in hatred, violence, death, and other Forbidden acts of destructive chaos in our world, is to act against the G-d, who made it available to our species.

There are consequences, though they are not immediate.

Avayah, Chalom.

(32)
Pep Gonzalvez,
November 8, 2001 12:00 AM

What´s the diference?

Terrorism is killing anything whtat`s the diference?

(31)
Anonymous,
October 27, 2001 12:00 AM

I completely understand George Ginzburg's frustration with words, especially at this stage of events in Israel, and I am deeply grateful to him as someone who has put his life on the line to fight evil! The human race is better because of men like Mr. Ginzburg. The fact that Israel has existed for over 50 years is due to men like Mr. Ginzburg. He is a real hero. It seems especially urgent after the many evil events of this past year for Jews to follow his example, and take action for good.
However, for those of us who have not had our lives directly threatened by evil, as Mr. Ginzburg has even in childhood, words are important to motivate us to, as Rabbi Weinberg says, recognize that evil exists and take actions to fight it. We have been complacent. We have had the luxury of sitting back in our armchairs and discussing semantics, while others lost their lives to evil. We have allowed ourselves to be lulled into a false sense of security by the mainstream media, while others were being terrorized by evil. We have been seeing things as we wish they were and not how they really are, while Israel is on the verge of being cut in two, the easier to be devoured by evil. Many have been seeing the 'Palestinian' question through rose-colored glasses. I know I have been.
I used to think the 'Palestinians' should have their own country in the land that was theirs before the Holocaust Jews came. This was based on a passing knowledge, gleaned from the mainstream media. But, as Melanie Danan profoundly put it, "people find many more words to convince the world that lies are truth; whereas the truth is very often silent". So it was only recently that I learned that there are no such people as 'Palestinians'. They aren't even indigenous to the area like I was led to believe. They are imposters, posers, liars! They're just a collection of relatively recent Arab immigrants to that land. The majority came after the 1917 Balfour Declaration set aside that land for a Jewish homeland so they knew they were coming to Jewish lands. Obviously they came to prevent that. They came to steal the Jewish homeland even then! They are Yemenites, Syrians, Egyptians, Saudis, etc. Arafat himself is an Egyptian. His homeland is in Egypt, like many of the 'Palestinians'. They already have homelands to go back to. They have 21 large oil rich homelands from which to choose, all Arabic, all Muslim. Jews only have one homeland, small, beleaguered, and terrorized since its inception. If the Jews lose Israel, there won't be 21 homelands to go back to. There won't even be one.
The 'Palestinians' are not a 'people'; they're a bloodthirsty army of assorted Arabs hell-bent on Israel's destruction, hell-bent on cleansing the region of anyone who's not Muslim. They slaughtered 200,000 Christians, 'cleansing' Lebanon during their stay there. Now they are unequivocally out to cleanse the area of Jews. Their new 'Palestine' textbooks do not even show Israel on the map. Does anyone seriously doubt that the only reason they want Israel to split itself in two is to be in a better position to destroy it?
I don't quite know what to make of the hypocritical stance being taken by the U.S. that Israel "negotiate" with terror, that Israel's defence of itself will "only escalate the violence". It's obvious nonsense. Proper sustained defence would eventually erase the violence from within, just as a good police force keeps criminals in check. They claim that "Israel must live with the Palestinians". Why is this suddenly a given? Every other country that has hosted the 'Palestinian army' has expelled them for causing bloodbaths, insurrections, plotting evil. Why should Israel be the only exception? Should Israel be appeasing its own intended killers while it still has the ability to defend itself? Should Israel fear the response of other nations too much to defend itself against evil? God provides miracles. The miracle is that this time Israel can fight the evil ones trying to destroy the Jews. The miracle is that this time the Jews in the diaspora and the righteous of all religions can be mobilized to provide help and to influence world opinion. The miracle is that this time the evil has revealed itself while Israel still has a chance to act.
To dreamakersfoundation who said "israel must restore its palestinean brothers... to illustrate what peace really is" -- sadly that delusion has passed. This year Jews of Israel have been murdered, kidnapped, terrorized, and slandered by their 'Palestinian brothers'. This past year the world could no longer deny the 'Palestinians' true intent to wipe Israel off the face of the map. They can barely wait to change the map! In fact, they haven't waited. Their maps have already wiped Israel out of existence! The era of negotiating with terror, of appeasing terror is over. Had the truth been known from the beginning it suely would never have even begun.

(30)
Anonymous,
October 24, 2001 12:00 AM

I George Ginzburg Holocaust Survivor Auschwitz,have been a Member of Betar
in Germany Belgium and Australia since the age of ten jears.I have come to
Israel in 1970 and been a member of Zahal in the Jom Hakippur war in 1973.I
have put my life on the line,having three smal children at the time.I
have been a volonteer Samal Rishon in the Tankdevision of Arik Scharon in
the Sinai. fighting to save the jewish State I have little Sympathie about
all your explanations, talking about nothing who should and who should not,
who is, and is not.During the Holocaust 5000 Jews were killed grilled
per night each day each night in the 4 Crematorias in Auschwitz
Birkenau,ignaurant we went to the slaughter like sheep we had nothing no
wappons no friends and no people to protest on the streets.Well Israel
better realize its to be or not to be you fight for survival,or Us or
them.Get them out
of Jerusalem and all of Israel by force resettle them ,throw them out if
you want to survive,or you want have a State any more, you got the power at
the moment for how long who knows?My Daughter is studying in Jerusalem for
the past 4 years can you guarantee her safety?? No more Schalom that
is a mith, Chazak w ematz What will the world say? What did the world say
when there were killing 6 Million Jews,Nothing!! George Ginzburg .

(29)
Shira Romm,
October 24, 2001 12:00 AM

America must recognize absolute evil

What a sparklingly clear and refreshing article! I have been thinking myself these past weeks that America's greatest strength is tolerance; yet this is also her weakness. Let's not let the politically correct blur the lines between good and evil.

(28)
Martin Kitchen,
October 24, 2001 12:00 AM

Wise words- love your website

I pray that the United States will allways have a policy to help protect, defend, and support the Jewish State and Jewish people.

(27)
Dick Armstrong,
October 24, 2001 12:00 AM

US acting shamefully toward Israel

I am a patriotic American, but am ashamed by the way my country has
(and is) treating Israel. We have no right to be pressuring Israel to 'negotiate' with the bloodthirsty PA. Land for peace will never work. Arafat will settle for nothing less than your destruction.
I pray for Mr. Bush and our Administration daily for them to truly stand behind Israel. May God be with you all.

(26)
Melanie Danan,
October 24, 2001 12:00 AM

Article by R. Weinberg "Defining and Defeating.....

I'd like to thank the Rav for assisting us in finding clarity in our arguments. I find it very difficult to stay calm and unemotional in the face of all the adverse press that Israel gets. I have tried calling the BBC World Service to complain about their blatant bias to Israel and to tell them about terrorist attacks that I hear about on Kol Yisrael which I listen to every day on the short wave radio which my husband and I bought after no longer being able to stand the distorted reports from the British media. All to no avail. Palestinian terrorists still remain "militants" and Israelis are rarely given a voice. It seems to me that people find many more words to convince the world that lies are truth; whereas the truth is very often silent.

(25)
patrick rice,
October 23, 2001 12:00 AM

lifting up the arms of Samuel

terrorists no matter where they are reflect not the G-d of the universe but demonstrate a weakness of great cowardness by sucumbing to the forces of evil and then they try to blame it all on G-d Almighty; it is note worthy to realize that cowards use children to fight their battles while they safety harbor themselves behind the lines in caves of deceit. how does it feel to be enjoying oneself with their family just to have some lunatic fanatic blow up their day and lifes; it is a feeling of terror and there is coming a day of judgement and the disciples of hell will find themselves where they belong in the choice they have made for eternity; when a nation only takes action against some terrorists and not all terrorist actions they leave the roots that may come back to haunt them; in other words it leaves the garden with weeds that will only seek out to destroy eventually the entire garden ; to be sucessful all the weeds need to be removed; the same is true for our spiritual lifes to see clearly it is necessary for all of us to weed out the trash of our minds; Israel has a right to exist and it is not a man given right but is a G-d given right. bin laden is a weakling and a coward he was afraid to do what he has done in his own country and by spending 100 million dollars he has bought the country of Afganastan from the so called religious cleric there to perpretrate terrorism then hide from the retaliation of his sin behind the lives of women and children in the poorest nation of the world. he is using the innocent to hide from prosecution; if he was really the man he claims to be he would stop this bloodshed and turn himself over to those families that he had murdered in the twin towers just as if arafat was a man he would stop inciting young boys to riot against truth and would stop harboring terrorists; i dont see him blowing himself up yes the U.S. needs to stay focused on terrorism by being totally committed to stoping all terrorist activities instead of playing this game of we dont want to break up the coalition at the expense of innocent lifes lost in Israel to the disciples of hell; if the motive is not 100 percent true then the seed of evil wont be totally eliminated and will sprout up again to terrorize someone else.

(24)
Mordechai Bulua,
October 23, 2001 12:00 AM

Dear Rabbi Weinberg,
You define terrorism as the act of purposely harming innocent men, women and children in order for them to accept your demands. I do not totally agree. Often, as was the case on Sept. 11, no demands are given. I believe the goal of terrorists is to instill and inspire fear for political ends.
Rabbi, you also say that we should unite under the banner of monotheism, of the one G-d who wants mankind to live in peace. Unfortunately, many Muslims who believe in one G-d nevertheless misuse His name to murder and kill innocent people.
Muslims believe in Moses (Musa) as a prophet of G-d. So they do not deny the Ten Commandments. What then do they do with #6 'Thou shalt not murder?'That is the question we should be asking their leaders. The majority of the world adheres to one of the world's monotheistic religions but that never prevented war from breaking out.
The only solution as far as I am concerned is learning more Torah, doing more mitzvot, practicing more kindness, and praying that Moshiach should come. We can already hear his footsteps.

(23)
Anonymous,
October 23, 2001 12:00 AM

Freedom Fighters?

Thank you for your excelent article. I was wondering, based on your definition, what category the 2 zionist groups who tried to expel the British would fall under. There was 1 group under BenGurion and 1 group under Begin. I think they did harm innocent people to achieve their goals.

(22)
Anonymous,
October 23, 2001 12:00 AM

Excellent I Too Can Define A Terrorist

Rabbi, I was reared in Africa in the days of 'Nationalism'. Your Article was excellent, but I wish to add one thing to terrorist. They are groups lacking Armed Forces, so they achieve their ends by causing the populace to lose confidence in the Government, when enough people do, the terrorists win, and it is by the most horrific acts that they can use, so terror must involve innocents, those who wish to do good, just attacking the Gov is not enough, they will perform the most horrible acts against the most innocent people. So civilians, babies, religious institutions, hospitals are choice targets. If they can cause panic, and cause people to flee, they win, we beat them by carrying on, we show them their methods will not allow us to change our lives. Thank You for the Article, and your time, Sincerely, Dave, USA

(21)
Anonymous,
October 23, 2001 12:00 AM

I would like to vote no.

Israel has been accused unfairly of killing Palastinians. It is time to put the blame in its proper place and that is NOT Israel.

(20)
Ruby Grossblatt,
October 23, 2001 12:00 AM

COMFORT FROM TRUTH

BS"D

I hope the Rosh Yeshiva will write an article each week on this topic; we need to hear these simple truths in order to gain confidence at this stressful and confusing time.

To me, one of Rabbi Weinberg's most profound statements was the following: "The media, universities, and politically correct pundits declare everyone is right and there are no absolutes." Then he stresses that in order to wipe out evil, we need to be as dedicated to "good" as the terrorists are dedicated to "evil."

Right after September 11th when the twin towers were attacked, Americans talked about being more dedicated to good -- recognizing that violence in movies and music needs to be tempered. I think we were on the right track. Citizens were asking, "How can I change for the better? How can we as a country raise our standards of decency?" Since then I've heard little,if anything,in this direction.

This is why Rabbi Weinberg's comments are so important. He urges us to be fiercely dedicated to good if we hope to wipe out evil. He even outlines how to do this: pray to the Creator of the Universe and encourage others to see the truth. Unfortunately some are so blinded that they can't see anything else but what they want to believe. Maybe in another article, the Rosh Yeshiva can tell us how to change those who don't want to change. In the meantime, I'll think about how to change myself for the better and pray to the Universal G-d to help me and the rest of the world.

Thank you Rabbi Weinberg, for your words of wisdom.

R.M. Grossblatt

(19)
Anonymous,
October 22, 2001 12:00 AM

hmm... to bad there wasnt this thinking around for the american indians.

(18)
Dennis Schroeter,
October 22, 2001 12:00 AM

Reply to Rabbi Weinberg

Rabbi:
Thank you for a clear and precise definition or what terrorism is.
The American public is quickly getting the message.
A vast majority of americans understand and support Israel more than ever.
Thank G-d we have a president who 'gets it'.
pray for the USA we will pray for peace in Jerusalem and Israel.

Your friend in America
Dennis Schroeter

(17)
Jerri McGarrah,
October 22, 2001 12:00 AM

I absolutely agree

Wow, Thank you for such a powerful essay. I appreciate your clarity.

(16)
Anonymous,
October 22, 2001 12:00 AM

Let's clearify our terms

I couldn’t help noticing the sarcasm in many responses to your article. Most responses picked on the word “innocent”. The word innocent is indeed the weakest point in your definition, just look back at all the examples your critics came up with from American History, WWII and contemporary Israeli events.
May I suggest something more constructive? How about defining “innocence”? But to make discussion fair for ALL parties concerned, I would invite ALL parties involved. That would necessitate someone from Palestinians and the more conservative better. For some reason I’m convinced that only the most conservative representatives can come up with acceptable solution. After all, these are the people who believe in “absolute” good and “absolute” evil and therefore can come up with definition of “absolute” innocence.

(15)
Tsivya Larson,
October 22, 2001 12:00 AM

Very clear, well written

Unlike the hype and rationalizations which many commentators in the media use to disguise the true facts, Rabbi Weinberg writes simply, clearly and truthfully.

(14)
Eddy Cook,
October 22, 2001 12:00 AM

informative, educational, and extremely helpful

It is important that there is a clear understanding of what a terrorist is. We use the word or defintion in a very liberal sense. This is not a conventional war, and it is unfortunate that the U.S. has had to experience similar sadness to what Israel only knows too well from Palestinian attacks. The world is complicated, people are complicated, everyone sees things differently, however, there must be agreement that is steadfast in dealing with terrorism. I hope that the resolve of influential countries, those that truly understand liberty will continue to stay the course.

(13)
mark norton,
October 22, 2001 12:00 AM

If only it was so easy, and just what do we mean by action?

A great article, clear and to the point ( as per usual). I got a bit lost when you write about the action, Rabbi. I feel this is where our Jewish Public Relations machine falls a bit short of the mark. Yes we need tons more PR of this nature, where the facts NOT the emotion are provided, not only on Jewish sites but all sites - we need to have and take interviews on CNN and BBC, we need a hotline or chat line that are manned by dedicated and righteous people to answer questions and pass on information 24 hours a day 6 days per week, and we need to do this with humility. OK quite a mouthful, to really say I enjoyd the article, and have passed it on to some of my friends/colleagues ( all Jewish) . Keep them coming Rabbi, regards, Mark

(12)
Anonymous,
October 22, 2001 12:00 AM

terroism defined

I thought this was one the best definitions and delineations of terrorism. It is very helpful.

(11)
moshe kaplan,
October 22, 2001 12:00 AM

until Israel gives total charity there will be no peace.

israel must restore its palestinean brothers to full equality and then israel will illustrate what peace really is.

(10)
Judy Lozano,
October 22, 2001 12:00 AM

above article

I applaud Rabbi Weinberg's article on the definition of a terrorist. I wholeheartedly agree with him, as do most other patriotic Americans. It is time for all of us, Christians or Jews, to put our faith into action, and to pray as we have never prayed before. Our country is in trouble now because of it's previous years of offering a haven to all other countries, many of them with no belief in our God. In an effort to become "everything to all", we are becoming "nothing" to the rest of the world. We are hated by the people we have given refuge to. It is time for Americans to stand up for the beliefs that founded this country, and say so. Our country has been a friend to Israel and should take a stand on that issue, and not let evil gain control of our minds and hearts. Thanks, Judy Lozano

(9)
Anonymous,
October 22, 2001 12:00 AM

mistaken id.

Peehaps the learned Rabbi should read the islamic holy book(so called) and be apprised that their agenda is to turn every one to islam or kill them by the sword ,written in their own book the koran, is it? per haps it is the real book of the dead?!

(8)
Yoni Gershon,
October 22, 2001 12:00 AM

The West is finished

As usual the Rosh Yeshiva puts it all in clear perspective. However, from here (New York) it looks to me as if the West has blown their chance to side with Good and fight against the murderers. Swayed by a) years of liberal amorality b) dependence on Arab oil the US did not have the backbone to make the hard good choice. Now that the US is swinging around to attack the Jews and try to force the issue of a Palestinian State, it's only a matter of time before America falls. Very sad.

(7)
Gerald Dashkin,
October 22, 2001 12:00 AM

Innocents must some times die to get at terrorists!

If terrorists such as the PLO, Hamas etc are based among "innocent"people, how is one to destroy the terrorists without killing many of the people among whom the terrorists are based.To my mind the death of these "innocents" is on the heads of the terrorists.This fact should be accepted as a sad but necessary consequence of the battle against terrorism.If not the terrorised will lose the war against terror.The mass media in the USA does not seem to understand these facts.the rabbi does not address this crucial issue!

(6)
Yedidya Weil,
October 21, 2001 12:00 AM

Definition unclear

I think the definition
"Terrorism is to purposefully harm innocent men, women and children, for the purpose of terrorizing them to accept your demands."
is not clear enough, because the work "innocent" is not defined. innocence is dependant on world view. any action, including massacre of an arbitrary amount of women/children is condoned by every world view, in certain situations, except pacifism. cf. Judaism's directives on 7 nations of Canaan/Amalek. so if there are no actions that are outlawed absolutely, you are left with the directives of your personal world-view. so this is not a helpful definition, since it just puts all the weight on "innocent", whose application is totally arguable. let's say you are a Palestinian. is the soldier who killed your brother innocent? is the person who told him to? are his parents who told him to go to the army? is the society which supported his and his parents decision that he should go to the army, even forced him to by law, innocent? of course, it is all dependant on your view of who is right in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. you can say that the whole Israeli society is responsible, and therefore a valid target.
Clarity does not come from these simple-sounding statements. they always fall back on other terms that need to be defined, and so on, in a circle.
Personally, I would say that the democratic representatives of each country/ policy makers of companies, have to agree on what their country/company considers terrorism, and go with that, since there probably will never be one accepted definition for words like innocence, since they rely on circular definitions.

also, one of the main sentences in the article (in R' Noach's other articles too) is:
Objective definitions are the basis for all rational, intelligent thinking.
I think most people would agree that non-trivial definitions are always relative (picked based on gut feeling/other reasons that are not derivable from other definitions), and then you compute rationally, based on them. the rational faculty accepts consistent definitions, and works based on them. first principles can never be picked rationally.

(5)
chaim green,
October 21, 2001 12:00 AM

thank G-d

Once again i'm deeply affected by the undisputable wisdom of Rabbi Weinberg.It's so pleasing to see enlightening clarity in such in such dark and confusing times.

Thank G-d for Rav Noah.

(4)
John Henry Thong,
October 21, 2001 12:00 AM

WWII carpet bombing as a sin

Americans of all religions have a horrid time with your definition of terrorism since we bombed Europe and Japan with out reference to civilian status in order to destroy "enemy morale" during the last years of WWII. We are all terrorists! - J H Thong

(3)
Joanne Millstone,
October 21, 2001 12:00 AM

Well Done!

I wish this article would appear on the CNN website and other places worldwide. The deffinition of a terrorist is priceless, and it does indeed seperate the freedom fighters from the butchers and thugs.

(2)
Anonymous,
October 21, 2001 12:00 AM

Rabbi Noah Weinberg’s definition.

Rabbi Noah Weinberg’s definition of terrorism, that is “Terrorism is to purposefully harm innocent men, women and children, for the purpose of terrorizing them to accept your demands", I’m afraid does not really help us at all.

The problem is that the Palestinians would probably accept this very definition. However, they will have a different understanding of the word “innocent”. In their eyes, every Jew that chooses to live in Eretz Yisrael and every Jew who identifies with Jews who live in Eretz Yisrael (which as far as they are concerned means ALL Jews, men, women and children) are by definition NOT innocent. In their eyes, all Jews are legitimate targets.

However, when the IDF defends Israeli citizens and by doing so, hurts or kills Palestinians, those Palestinians ARE innocent as they were “only defending their land against the infidel invaders”(sic). If the Palestinians are all innocent then using Rabbi Noah Weinberg’s definition, we Israelis are all terrorists! Moreover, this sick perverted logic is shared my some Israelis. For instance, the Gush Shalom organisation considers it a legitimate form of Arab expression to murder Jews.

I’m sure that the Danish Foreign minister considers himself completely objective when he defines both sides as terrorists. The victims and the murderers!

I've been striving to get more into spirituality. But it seems that every time I make some progress, I find myself slipping right back to where I started. I'm getting discouraged and feel like a failure. Can you help?

The Aish Rabbi Replies:

Spiritual slumps are a natural part of spiritual growth. There is a cycle that people go through when at times they feel closer to God and at times more distant. In the words of the Kabbalists, it is "two steps forward and one step back." So although you feel you are slipping, know that this is a natural process. The main thing is to look at your overall progress (over months or years) and be able to see how far you've come!

This is actually God's ingenious way of motivating us further. The sages compare this to teaching a baby how to walk. When the parent is holding on, the baby shrieks with delight and is under the illusion that he knows how to walk. Yet suddenly, when the parent lets go, the child panics, wobbles and may even fall.

At such times when we feel spiritually "down," that is often because God is letting go, giving us the great gift of independence. In some ways, these are the times when we can actually grow the most. For if we can move ourselves just a little bit forward, we truly acquire a level of sanctity that is ours forever.

Here is a practical tool to help pull you out of the doldrums. The Sefer HaChinuch speaks about a great principle in spiritual growth: "The external awakens the internal." This means that although we may not experience immediate feelings of closeness to God, eventually, by continuing to conduct ourselves in such a manner, this physical behavior will have an impact on our spiritual selves and will help us succeed. (A similar idea is discussed by psychologists who say: "Smile and you will feel happy.")

That is the power of Torah commandments. Even if we may not feel like giving charity or praying at this particular moment, by having a "mitzvah" obligation to do so, we are in a framework to become inspired. At that point we can infuse that act of charity or prayer with all the meaning and lift it can provide. But if we'd wait until being inspired, we might be waiting a very long time.

May the Almighty bless you with the clarity to see your progress, and may you do so with joy.

In 1940, a boatload 1,600 Jewish immigrants fleeing Hitler's ovens was denied entry into the port of Haifa; the British deported them to the island of Mauritius. At the time, the British had acceded to Arab demands and restricted Jewish immigration into Palestine. The urgent plight of European Jewry generated an "illegal" immigration movement, but the British were vigilant in denying entry. Some ships, such as the Struma, sunk and their hundreds of passengers killed.

If you seize too much, you are left with nothing. If you take less, you may retain it (Rosh Hashanah 4b).

Sometimes our appetites are insatiable; more accurately, we act as though they were insatiable. The Midrash states that a person may never be satisfied. "If he has one hundred, he wants two hundred. If he gets two hundred, he wants four hundred" (Koheles Rabbah 1:34). How often have we seen people whose insatiable desire for material wealth resulted in their losing everything, much like the gambler whose constant urge to win results in total loss.

People's bodies are finite, and their actual needs are limited. The endless pursuit for more wealth than they can use is nothing more than an elusive belief that they can live forever (Psalms 49:10).

The one part of us which is indeed infinite is our neshamah (soul), which, being of Divine origin, can crave and achieve infinity and eternity, and such craving is characteristic of spiritual growth.

How strange that we tend to give the body much more than it can possibly handle, and the neshamah so much less than it needs!